The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Belt of Seven Totems, by Kirk Munroe, Illustrated by Emlen McConnell

Note:

Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See [ https://archive.org/details/beltofseventotem00munr]

THE BELT OF SEVEN TOTEMS

NINTH IMPRESSION

HE WAS SEIZED BY TWO PAIR OF BRAWNY HANDS AND
DRAGGED INBOARD [Page 193]

THE BELT of SEVEN TOTEMS

A Story of Massasoit

KIRK MUNROE

Author of "Under the Great Bear," "Brethren of the
Coast," "Rick Dale," "Forward March,"
"The 'Mates'' Series," etc.

ILLUSTRATED BY
EMLEN McCONNELL

PHILADELPHIA & LONDON
J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS
PHILADELPHIA, U. S. A.

TO MY READERS

The following story is not intended as a history; it is merely an effort to reconcile certain apparently conflicting facts and to explain an otherwise inexplicable situation. At the time of the Pilgrim Fathers all American Indians—not excepting those of New England—had suffered repeated outrage at the hands of white men, and in no case had they been given cause to love the invaders of their country or to welcome their presence. Why, then, did the powerful Massasoit permit a white invasion of his territory that he could so easily have crushed? A friendship existed from the very first between him and Edward Winslow, and the latter seems to have exercised a great influence over the New England sachem. What was the origin of this friendship? The Narragansetts, while submitting to Massasoit's authority, were always in sullen opposition to it. Why? It is to answer these questions to my own satisfaction that I have constructed the theory herewith advanced.

Many New England natives were kidnapped and taken to various parts of Europe. Why might not Massasoit have been among them? The wampum belt, on which was pictured the distinguishing totems of seven leading New England clans, was worn by both Massasoit and Metacomet (King Philip), his son, and is still in existence. Tasquanto (Squanto) was kidnapped from Cape Cod and taken to England, where he remained for several years. Captain Dermer carried a number of native Americans to London, where he sold them to be exhibited as curiosities. He finally died of wounds received at the hands of New England Indians. Champlain did aid a war-party of Hurons to defeat the Iroquois in one instance, and in another was defeated by the same foe. Thus, while my story is admittedly fictional, it has a substantial historical basis.

Kirk Munroe.

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.	The Village of Peace	[9]
II.	Canonicus makes Trouble	[18]
III.	At the Crossing of the Shatemuc	[28]
IV.	The Belt changes Hands	[38]
V.	What the Daughters of Kaweras found	[50]
VI.	In the Lodge of the Arrow-Maker	[60]
VII.	Nahma joins a War-Party	[70]
VIII.	Two Young Scouts	[81]
IX.	On the Lake	[91]
X.	An Oki of the Waters	[101]
XI.	The Coming of Sacandaga	[111]
XII.	A Meeting of Deadly Foes	[121]
XIII.	To the Lodges of the White Man	[131]
XIV.	Two Inmates of a Guard-House	[141]
XV.	The Bitter Winter of Canada	[151]
XVI.	A Dash for Liberty	[162]
XVII.	A Death-Dealing Thunder-Stick	[172]
XVIII.	Kidnapped	[183]
XIX.	Sold as a Slave	[194]
XX.	One Friendly Face	[206]
XXI.	A Change of Masters	[217]
XXII.	Nahma and the Bear run away	[228]
XXIII.	An Honored Guest	[238]
XXIV.	Nahma remembers	[248]
XXV.	Back to America	[259]
XXVI.	Sassacus the Pequot	[270]
XXVII.	A Royal Home-Coming	[281]
XXVIII.	In the Council-Lodge	[292]
XXIX.	Winning a Battle, a Wife, and a Friend	[303]
XXX.	The Pilgrims of Plymouth	[314]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

	PAGE
He was seized by two pair of brawny hands and dragged inboard	[Frontispiece.]
As she caught a glimpse of the wounded youth the progress of the canoe was instantly arrested	[56]
Nahma sprang upon the white man with uplifted knife	[129]
"Look, then, and tremble, thou dog of a murderer"	[290]

THE
BELT OF SEVEN TOTEMS

THE BELT of SEVEN TOTEMS

TO MY READERS

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS